Tuesday, 8 August 2017

Amstel beers in 1956

Continuing with my theme of stuff I didn't really do anything with for years, here's a look at Amstel's beers in 1956.

These are in the archive that's most accessible to me, the Amsterdam Stadsarchief. I really should get down there more often. But it’s hard to justify when I’ve done bugger all with the information I’ve already collected.

It’s a funny set of beer: four flavours of Pils, a Stout and the oh-so-Dutch Oud Bruin.

Starting with the Pils, P is the standard one, of which huge quantities were brewed. Gold is a stronger version, which differs from the standard one by using sugar rather than unmalted grain. It’s still available in Holland. I’ve even tried it myself, though purely for scientific purposes.

E is the export version, presumably destined for the USA. While the watery PL is obviously the UK version. Nowhere else would have wanted a 3% ABV Pils. It also contained sugar rather than unmalted grain.

Most Dutch Lager breweries had a Stout in their range in the first half of the 20th century. Usually they were bottom-fermented. Along with Bok, they were the strongest beer in a brewery’s portfolio. And usually the most heavily hopped.

I love Oud Bruin. Because every time an American tells me every style of beer is brewed in the USA, I always say: “What about Dutch-style Oud Bruin?”. Dark and very sweet, it’s not to everyone’s taste.

Note the very low level of hopping in most of the beers, even Pils, which is supposed to be hoppy.

Amstel beers in 1956

Beer

Style

OG
Plato

FG
Plato

ABV

App.
Atten-uation

kg
hops/ 100 kg

hops
kg/hl

Gold

Pils

14.50

3.90

5.77

74.21%

1.19

0.23

P

Pils

11.57

2.70

4.76

77.48%

1.17

0.19

PL

Pils

8.00

2.55

2.88

68.82%

1.73

0.21

St

Stout

16.00

7.85

4.53

52.48%

1.17

0.30

OB

Oud Bruin

8.50

2.50

3.18

71.29%

1.10

0.19

E

Pils

11.91

2.80

4.89

77.33%

1.22

0.20

Source:

Amstel brewing log held at the Amsterdam Stadsarchief,
document number 1506-555.